Officials are probing how a 51-year-old highway bridge came to collapse in the Italian port city of Genoa yesterday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

Minister denies McKew book allegations

Cabinet minister Brendan O'Connor says a claim about his role in the removal of Kevin Rudd as prime minister is untrue.

Mr O'Connor is named in a book by Rudd supporter and former Labor MP Maxine McKew as one of the people who distributed to caucus members research favourable to Julia Gillard before her June 2010 overthrow of Mr Rudd.

"It was research that showed a perception word identification graph as to how Julia was seen by voters. The words were in capitals. She was seen in concepts such as 'trustworthy' and 'visionary' ... By contrast, Kevin was portrayed as 'not of the people'," former Attorney-General Robert McClelland is quoted as saying in the book.

But Mr O'Connor denies that account.

"I first heard this when a newspaper contacted me to ask if that was true," he told ABC television on Thursday.

"That is not true."

He was disappointed Ms McKew, a former ABC journalist, had not contacted him to get his version of events for her book, which is due out next week.